Structure
The content of the science curriculum for infant classes is presented in two sections:
- a skills section, which describes the science process skills that children should develop as they encounter topics in the curriculum
- a number of strands, which outline the topics that may be included in the science programme. The topics within each strand are referred to as strand units. Examples and suggestions are shown in italic type throughout the content sections.
The presentation of content in these two sections is intended to help teachers in planning for the development of important skills and attitudes as knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts are acquired.
Skills in science
The science skills outlined at this level are arranged under two headings:
- Working scientifically describes the science skills that children should develop through their scientific investigations
- Designing and making skills will involve pupils in exploring materials, planning designs and making models that will provide solutions to practical problems.
As children work scientifically throughout these strands, a broad range of skills will be nurtured and developed in conjunction with the framework of ideas explored in each content area of science.
Strands for infant classes
The strands of the curriculum present the science topics that children will explore. Content in science for the infant classes is presented in four strands:
- Living things, which is concerned with the study of people, animals and plants and their life processes
- Energy and forces, which describes the different forms of energy such as light, sound and heat and the exploration of different forces that the children encounter through structured play with water and toys
- Materials, which involves the exploration of different everyday materials and the investigation of their characteristics
- Environmental awareness and care, which outlines how science and geography can foster the child's appreciation of environments and his/her responsibility for their conservation and enhancement. Environmental awareness and care is a cross-curricular strand common to the science and geography curricula.
A spiral approach
The curriculum is based on a spiral approach, in which some aspects of the biological and physical environment may be explored at each class level. The titles of the strands and the strand units are almost identical ateach class level. However, the knowledge and understanding presented and the range of process skills that children are encouraged to use in scientific investigations will be developed and extended at each class level.
It is not intended that all the strand units will be taught in each class. Some units will be treated during junior infants only, some will be taught in the senior infants year only, while others could be profitably taught in each class, with the more complex details, concepts and methods of investigation and treatment reserved for the senior infants class. The suggestions are not intended to be prescriptive or exclusive, and the units may be supplemented by additional enrichment units, as identified in school planning or at the discretion of the teacher.
Planning
Efficient planning for science in the school will ensure that children experience a broad and balanced curriculum in which undue repetition and significant gaps are avoided. The units selected by the school and the teacher should
- be based on the environment, and all pupils should have the opportunity to explore and investigate the environment systematically and thoroughly at each class level; scientific concepts and skills should be developed through explorations in the immediate environment whenever possible
- ensure that pupils have access to a comprehensive and balanced range of scientific ideas while providing opportunities for the development of skills and concepts through practical investigations.
Breadth and balance -- a menu curriculum
A broad and balanced programme will ensure that pupils have access to scientific concepts from each of the strands. Within each strand unit it is not expected that children should cover each objective. Instead, teachers at individual school level will select from the content objectives and exemplars outlined in each strand unit while ensuring that pupils apply and develop their scientific skills in a broad range of contexts.
Linkage and integration
Much of the work suggested in the curriculum might be delivered through the integrated themes or topics that are commonly used to organise learning in infant classes. For example, objectives in the strand units 'Myself' and 'Plants and animals' might be achieved as children examine these themes in SPHE or religious education. Similarly, many of the skills used in mathematics, such as measuring, estimating and problem-solving, will provide opportunities for the development of similar scientific skills.
Within the content sections, notes below strand units suggest some of the instances where linkage (i.e. integration within the science curriculum) and integration (i.e. cross-curricular connections) might be established.